Category: Rural Ministry
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May 2017 Newsletter
My latest newsletter is out. You can read it Here. Please take a moment and pray for the ministry. Thank you.
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Five Ways to Welcome New Church Staff to Your Community… A How-to guide.
If you live in a community of any size, there is a decent probability that one of the churches will have hired new or replacement staff members. Uprooting and moving a family two miles or two thousand miles is a big deal. How can the believers in your local community make them feel welcome? 1)…
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Sermons
In response to request from some ministry friends, I am going back and publishing audio and PDF notes from messages I’ve given at rural churches in Illinois and Indiana. Pulpit supply has been a sizable part of my ministry lately. I have been able to serve Pastors and churches in my region by filling in…
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The Purpose of Youth Ministry…
Yesterday, I attended my mom’s church in Southern Illinois. The Pastor gave a message based on John 4, the woman at the well. One of the statements that the pastor made summed up the passage well, but also encapsulated what we should be modeling as youth workers: “Jesus knew everything the woman had done, everything…
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What does a Rural Ministry Specialist do?
In my work with National Network of Youth Ministries, I get asked this question a lot. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share about my work with NNYM at Nyesville Full Gospel Church. The presentation gives a great overview of the work I do in Illinois, Indiana and West Kentucky to encourage…
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An interesting observation….
I visit many churches as part of my role with NNYM. They have been different denominations and sizes, but a pattern emerges as churches adopt technology such as PowerPoint and other presentation software. The really small churches tend to have the pastor running it from up front, while seeking others to operate it as they…
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Microsoft Will Never Call You…
Microsoft will never call you about a virus, lottery, or your upgrade options. They have said as much.Right Here. They do not have the time or staff to do so. I say this as a public service to you the reader. Trust me, I see what happens several times a week, when customers bring in…
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More Thoughts on The Future of Rural Youth Ministry…
In my book, Rural Youth Ministry, I spend some time talking about the future of youth ministry in rural communities. Almost three years out from the publishing of the book, I have seen some things transpire that show where I was right, where I was wrong, and what I didn’t see coming. No one knows…
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Four Social Media Tools I Use…
Every once in a while, I get asked the question “who has time for social media?”. The answer to that is “nearly everyone”, you just have to use the right tools and manage your time . There are some great tools you can use to both get the information you’re looking for without all the…
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Four Things Cryptomining Can Teach You About Ministry
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by
The people who have not heard of Cryptomining are in the majority, so lets begin here. To give a very simple definition, Cryptomining is using the processing power of your video card and/or CPU to solve complex algorithms in the attempt to uncover parts of digital currency. The algorithms both identify and protect the authenticity…
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You’re Tracking The Wrong Metrics in Rural Ministry…
I know, I used a buzzword. Whether you are in Church Growth, Business, Marketing, SEO, or Fantasy Sports, the word “Metrics” carrries a heavy connotation. Its one of measuring and evaluting everything for the sake of making things better. In a lot of rural churches, this would be a large change. Many have “done what…
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The Blogging Congregation…
I attend a small church in a rural community. I’m talking less than 150 on Sunday morning small. Yet, I see two trends in our church that I hope speak to the future of growing churches. The first is that the fastest growing and most engaged group is shifting from those in their 50’s amd…